The account of Paul’s transformation from a persecutor of Christians to one who willingly suffers persecution for the sake of the Gospel is one of the most powerful stories in the Bible.  I am excited to see that a movie has been made that recounts Paul’s journey.  I saw a preview for this movie in the theater last year and it looks quite intense and moving.

In PAUL, APOSTLE OF CHRIST, Luke risks his life to visit Paul, who is held captive in a Roman prison under Nero’s rule. Together, they struggle against a determined emperor and the frailties of the human spirit in order to live out the Gospel of Jesus Christ and spread their message to the world.

Paul’s letters and writings were vital to the spreading of Christianity, and became a large part of the New Testament. Despite persecution and peril, they shared Jesus’ message of love, redemption and forgiveness with a small community of believers who in turn, took it to the whole world.

Great pains were taken to maintain biblical accuracy. Using scripture as the only reference, director Andrew Hyatt recreated the story of Paul on film, including the close relationship with Luke, whom at the end of Paul’s life, at his own peril, traveled in and out of the prison carrying Paul’s writings to the community of believers

The MPAA has rated the film PG-13 for some violent content and disturbing images

Running time is 1:47 min

In Theaters Nationwide Week Before Easter Friday, March 23, 2018.  Buy tickets here.

Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255:  “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC, Collide Media Group and Columbia TriStar Marketing Group, Inc. for providing tickets to see this movie on its release in exchange for this promotional post.  Opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation.

I have yet to see Cirque do Soleil live in person.  I have seen performances on television, and they look amazing.  I am looking forward to watching them perform in Orange County and will be sure to blog about my experience.  

LUZIA takes you to an imaginary Mexico, like in a waking dream, where light (“luz” in Spanish) quenches the spirit and rain (“lluvia”) soothes the soul. With a surrealistic series of grand visual surprises and breathtaking acrobatic performances, LUZIA cleverly brings to the stage multiple places, faces and sounds of Mexico taken from both tradition and modernity. Experience water inside the big top, jaw dropping acts and larger than life props in this unique production unlike any show you have ever seen before. Get ready to be transported to a surreal world of wonders!
25% off tickets to LUZIA by Cirque du Soleil! – 25% off tickets to LUZIA by Cirque du Soleil. Select weeknight shows only. Use promo code REVIEW.
https://www.usfamilyguide.com/coupon.php?bid=13602&dealid=3511 @usfg

Recently we were given the opportunity to try out some products from Sagaform.  This was my first introduction to Sagaform, which is a Scandinavian Lifestyle brand.  I have always been a fan of Scandinavian design and the products that we were sent are both functional and stylish.

Basil is my all-time favorite herb to have on hand growing in my kitchen.  I like the design of this Herb Pot because you put water in the bottom, so the roots can draw up the water.

These Herb Scissors are really handy.  They make perfectly sized ribbons of any herb that you choose.

Multi Tool Pasta Server: measures, grates and serves!

These Pizza Scissors are another clever invention.  Cut the pizza and then easily serve up a slice.

I made a bruschetta appetizer and topped it with freshly snipped basil.  These Sagaform products would make great original gifts for the cook or foodie in your life.

Our family has a handful of movies that we enjoy watching together every year around Christmas time.  I am excited to be able to add The Star to that list of movies!  We had the opportunity to watch this movie in the theater last year.  I thought it did a wonderful job of telling the story of Jesus’ birth with humor, inspiration and music, all from the unexpected point of view of a donkey.  I am excited for the DVD release of this movie, along with the included bonus features.  Also, check out a live interactive and engaging guided Bible Study with Devon Franklin here.

This Tale of Faith and Friendship Includes Six Sing-Along Videos from Mariah Carey, Fifth Harmony, Kelsea Ballerini, A Great Big World, and Kirk Franklin

Includes a Dance Along, “How-to” Crafts Video and Much More

Available on Digital February 6 and On Blu-ray + DVD + Digital on February 20

AFFIRM Films and Sony Pictures Animation’s THE STAR arrives for the first time on Digital on February 6 and on Blu-ray + DVD + Digital February 20 from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. The heartwarming animated comedy follows a small but brave donkey named Bo (voiced by Steven Yeun, “The Walking Dead”), who yearns for a life beyond his daily grind at the village mill. One day he finds the courage to break free and finally goes on the adventure of his dreams. On his journey, he teams up with Ruth (voiced by Aidy Bryant, “Saturday Night Live”), a lovable sheep who has lost her flock and Dave (voiced by Keegan-Michael Key, Friends From College), a dove with lofty aspirations, along with three wisecracking camels voiced by Tracy Morgan (“30 Rock”), Tyler Perry and Oprah Winfrey. Bo and his new friends follow the star and become accidental heroes in the greatest story ever told.

Rounding out the all-star voice cast including Gina Rodriguez (“Jane The Virgin”) as Mary, Zachary Levi (“Chuck”) as Joseph, Grammy® Award-Winner Kelly Clarkson as Leah the horse, Anthony Anderson (“Black-ish”) as Zach the goat, Ving Rhames  (Mission Impossible) as Thaddeus the dog, Gabriel Iglesias (Coco, Ferdinand) as Rufus the dog, Patricia Heaton (“The Middle”) as Edith the cow, Emmy® and Tony® Award-Winner Kristin Chenoweth as Abby the mouse, and Christopher Plummer (All the Money in the World) as King Herod.

THE STAR is filled with more than an hour of engaging bonus materials including the “Star-aoke: Sing Along with Bo & Friends,” a dance along to “Life Is Good” by A Great Big World, plus a collection of fun lyric videos that will have you singing along to the inspiring music from THE STAR.  Families can enjoy crafting and baking with “how-to” videos “Star Mason Jar Votives” and “Sweet and Sparkly Stars,” and they also can go behind-the-scenes to explore the amazing talent who bring these characters to life.  In “Faith All Year Round,” renowned pastor and motivational speaker, DeVon Franklin delivers a fun and engaging children’s sermon discussing the themes of the film and keeping the spirit of this inspiring story alive in us every day.

THE STAR is directed by Academy Award® nominated writer/director Timothy Reckart, screenplay by Carlos Kotkin, and story by Simon Moore and Carlos Kotkin. The film is executive produced by DeVon Franklin, Brian Henson and Lisa Henson, and produced by Jennifer Magee-Cook. The Star is presented by AFFIRM films and Sony Pictures Animation in association with Walden Media, Franklin Entertainment and The Jim Henson Company. The uplifting theme song, “The Star” by Mariah Carey and veteran songwriter Marc Shaiman was also nominated for a 2018 Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song. “The Star” song is now available on The Star: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, which assembles new music from a bevy of powerhouse superstars.

Bonus Materials Include:

• Star-aoke: Sing-Along with Bo & Friends: In this all new song, sing along with your favorite characters including Bo, Dave, Ruth and the unforgettable camels
• “Life Is Good” Dance-Along: Shake your tail feathers and move your hooves in this fun dance along
• Lyric Sing-Along Videos: Enjoy the eclectic and inspiring music of THE STAR with these colorful lyric videos that allow you to sing along with your favorite recording artists
  • “The Star” by Mariah Carey
  • “Can You See” by Fifth Harmony
  • “Children Go Where I Send You” by Kelsea Ballerini
  • “We Three Kings” by Kirk Franklin
  • “Life Is Good” by A Great Big World
• Sweet and Sparkly Stars: Create star-themed cookies to be enjoyed year round
• Star Mason Jar Votives: Let the light of THE STAR shine with this simple yet stunning craft
• Faith All Year Round with DeVon Franklin: A children’s sermon discussing the themes of the film and how to keep the spirit of this inspiring story alive in us every day
• An All-Star Cast: Meet the stars of the film and explore the exciting voice cast who bring these amazing characters to life

THE STAR has a run time of approximately 86 minutes and is rated PG: for some thematic elements

Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255:  “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free

I find it amazing how much laundry our family must do every week.  I am looking forward to the day when my kids do their own laundry.  My mom gave me that responsibility between fifth and sixth grade, and I plan to do the same with our own kids.  For my daughter, that will be happening this year!

Recently, I gave my daughter a quick lesson on how to use our laundry machine and dryer.  One of the questions she asked was what to do with the knob that adjusts for load size.  I told her to just keep it at large or oversize.  In an effort to be energy efficient, we only do full loads of laundry in our house.

We inherited our washer and dryer with the house when we bought it in 2009 and it was several years old at that time.  I am sure we will be in the market for a new set in the near future!  There have been a lot of recent technological improvements to washers and dryers.  LG is at the forefront of such improvements.  For example, LG’s TwinWash system features a TurboWash 2.0 feature that saves up to 30 minutes on larger loads.  That in itself may be worth the investment!

The TwinWash system also allows you to wash smaller loads when necessary with the LG SideKick pedestal washer.  I can imagine that would be really handy when you just need to do a mini load.  For example, when my daughter or son has a basketball or soccer tournament, I just want to wash their uniform between games.  With LG’s TwinWash system, that would be easy to do without wasting energy!

From 1/11-4/25 receive up to $500 off a LG laundry solution for your home!